New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the United States! With so much culture, history, and good food it’s easy to see why visitors return year after year. Visiting NOLA (New Orleans, LA)? Here is your guide to the heart of Louisiana.
Food • Where to Stay • What to Do • Cemetery Tour • 3 Day NOLA guide
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Where to Eat in New Orleans
In New Orleans you can eat till your heart’s content on good Cajun food. While you can find delicious creole and Cajun food throughout Louisiana, New Orleans is one of the only places where you can combine the good food with rich history. Where to eat in New Orleans can be a hard decision so we picked some of the best restaurants in NOLA to feature.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
Take a stroll in the French Quarter and you can feast in the very building where Jean Lafitte established his reputation as a privateer. Blacksmith’s shop turned front and cover, Jean Lafitte smuggled goods and played turn-coat during the War of 1812. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is a staple of NOLA having been around since the 1700s. Rich in history and lore, you may find Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is home to a ghost or two.
Café Du Monde
Some restaurants are popular and it’s dubious how they earned their reputation but when it comes to Café Du Monde there is no question that they earned their national reputation with authentic and scrumptious beignets. A visit to New Orleans is not complete without a stop at Café Du Monde for few beignets (because you can’t eat just one – and an order comes with 3).
Acme Oyster House
Another hot spot for food in the New Orleans French Quarter is Acme Oyster House. The Acme Oyster House has a long standing reputation for some of the oysters in NOLA. You choose whether your oysters arrive at the table fried, on the half shell, or chargrilled. No matter what you pick, Acme Oyster House will serve them up fresh. They also serve all your Cajun favorites from Po-Boys to fried fish.
Pier 424 Seafood
Fan of Po-Boys and good vibes? Hit up Pier 424 Seafood Market for a delicious Alligator Po-Boy or Crawfish Étouffée.
Sit up on the Pier 424 Seafood Market balcony and overlook the famous Bourbon Street for a truly authentic New Orleans eatery experience.
Pier 424 Seafood is an awesome place to eat in New Orleans’s French Quarter with good food and great location!
Where to Stay in New Orleans
Whenever we travel, our choice accommodations are Bed and Breakfasts. With often historical homes, a free breakfast, and the opportunity to support a local, there is really no reason NOT to stay at a bed and breakfast when traveling. That’s why our recommendations for where you should stay in New Orleans are both Bed and Breakfasts.
Fleur De Lis Mansion
Fleur De Lis Mansion is a clothing optional bed and breakfast in the heart of New Orleans. Don’t let the clothing optional stop you from staying (unless you have kiddos).
We stayed at the Fluer De Lis Mansion – fully clothed – and had a wonderful time! There is a welcome cocktail hour, good views, safe parking, and wonderfully decorated rooms.
We stayed in the Royal Suite room and enjoyed the romantic vibes and open concept. There is also an outdoor shower.
Garden District Bed and Breakfast
Garden District Bed and Breakfast is an excellent option for where to stay in NOLA.
It is close to the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and within walking distance of many shops and eateries.
The Balcony room at the Garden District Bed and Breakfast in New Orleans features a balcony that faces NOLA’s Magazine Street. For those who enjoy people watching, it is nice to sit on the balcony and watch the hustle and bustle of the busy street. If you’re not staying in the Balcony Room, you can sit on the bench in the common area of the front porch and enjoy the scene.
What to Do in New Orleans
There are so many things to do in New Orleans that it can be hard to fit them into your trip. Each person’s trip will be a little different based on their unique interests. Some of these may not interest you but some things to do in New Orleans be right up your alley.
Cemetery Tour
Our number one suggestion is doing a cemetery tour (read more here or just keep scrolling).
French Quarter
One of the most obvious things to do in NOLA is to visit the infamous French Quarter. Have a drink on Bourbon Street, enjoy some delicious Cajun food (the best restaurants in New Orleans), and enjoy the night life.
If you visit during the day there are many restaurants around that serve delicious food. One of our favorites is Pier 424. It has a great balcony view of Bourbon street.
A day visit to the French Quarter will not have the same hustle and bustle as the nightlife but this may be more enjoyable for some visitors.
Museums
Another common thing to do in New Orleans is to visit some museums in town. No matter what your interest, there is a museum for you in New Orleans. From the World War II museum to the Museum of Death to the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Enjoy the Outdoors
New Orleans has one of the nation’s best public parks. Larger than Central Park in New York, the New Orleans City Park has statues, wildlife, beautiful trees, and fresh air. The park has been enjoyed by locals and visitors alike since the 1850s!
Ghost Tours
New Orleans has such a rich history, it’s a given that not all of it is good. With so many years stacked in this gulf coast town, there are many stories that will give the listener chills. Some say that New Orleans is one of the most haunted towns in the United States. For this reason, Ghost tours are a popular thing to do in New Orleans. Be it a midnight tour of a cemetery, a walking tour of the French Quarter, or a visit to the LaLaurie Mansion, those that like to explore the darker side of human history and the other side will enjoy a ghost tour in New Orleans. The best ghost tour company in New Orleans is the French Quarter Phantoms Ghost Tours.
Listen to Lore – Episode 150
If you aren’t keen on going on a ghost tour but are still interested in the lurid history of New Orleans, I highly recommend giving Episode 150: Addition of the popular podcast Lore a listen. It is all about the hidden past of New Orleans and might just be the makings of your own, self-guided ghost tour.
Cemetery Tour
When visiting New Orleans you must do a cemetery tour! For those who don’t like haunts and ghosts, don’t worry. This is still for you. While you can do a nighttime tour and get your creepy on, visiting a NOLA cemetery during the day is an enjoyable walk through the history of New Orleans.
Due to the sensitive nature of the cemeteries in New Orleans and the desire to preserve them for future generations, the only way to tour a cemetery is with a trained guide. You can find many options for guided cemetery tours in New Orleans but only one is contributing to the cemetery and to the town of New Orleans and not just out for profit – Save Our Cemeteries.
Save Our Cemeteries is an organization established with the goal of preserving the historic cemeteries in New Orleans. Their list of goals and accomplishments is long and best read from their own website – https://www.saveourcemeteries.org/who-we-are/
The best cemetery to visit in New Orleans is the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Close to the NOLA French Quarter, this cemetery was established in 1789 and is home to the famous voodoo queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is also home to Nicholas Cage’s tomb – only time will tell if he will be buried here or not but story is that he will.
New Orleans 3 Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive and check into accommodations (suggested accommodations here)
Head to Acme Oyster House for dinner
Hit up the bars in the French Quarter
Day 2
Have breakfast at Café Porche and Snowbar – only open on the weekends, this is one of the best rated restaurants in New Orleans (unless you stay at a Bed and Breakfast – then enjoy their complimentary breakfast)
Visit one of the many famous cemeteries in New Orleans for a guided cemetery tour (be sure to use this company to support the preservation of the cemeteries)
Lunch at Pier 424 Seafood on Bourbon Street
Take your pick of one of the museums that New Orleans has to offer
Dinner at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
Once it is dark, enjoy a ghost tour of the French quarter, New Orleans, or one of the cemeteries
Day 3
Wake up and go to Café Du Monde for a breakfast of coffee and beignets (unless you stay at a Bed and Breakfast – then enjoy their complimentary breakfast BUT grab some beignets for the road)
Enjoy a walk along the river or go visit the New Orleans City Park
Check out of your accommodations (unless you are a late riser – then do this before)
Griseta Travels 